lessons in confidence: original
by Teruame
Summary: The two original chapters. Updated version is coming soon.
1. Chapter 1

A/N:This is the first time that I have ever written a fanfiction on my own, so please be sure to point out any adjustments that I might need without flaming me; I am not the most experienced writer here, so please be considerate.

On second thought, if you don't like this pairing, then YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ IT. Or if you do, FLAMING ME JUST FOR WRITING THIS PAIRING IS NOT ALLOWED. Please follow what I have to tell you, and thank you for your cooperation.

Author: Teruame

Title: Lessons in Confidence

Pairing: SasuHina

Genre: Romance/General

Rating: PG

Chapter 1

To Hyuga Hinata, practice was something that took her strength away over time; the amount of effort that an individual could exert continuously, especially if at a certain rate, only amounted to so much.

Unfortunately, the exhaustion that had been threatening her torso for the last hour was finally taking its toll; she took a step back after another forceful hit on the training dummy before collapsing onto the grass.

Such was the price to pay for becoming stronger as a warrior. Stamina was used and increased over time with the skills one needed in battle.

The Hyuga heiress lifted her head up and took another glance at the damage inflicted on the stump. For some reason, though, nothing that she had done so far was working, even when she had forced herself beyond extreme exhaustion.

Not even the match she had with Neji had done enough. It did bring her, for a moment, a sense of pride that she could actually stand up against all odds, and yet the only reason for that was due to the fact that Naruto had cheered her on.

It was the only time when she truly did her best.

She allowed her head to fall back on the grass and closed her eyes to will away the disappointment.

Every other time, her nervousness and lack of confidence took three-fourths of her strength away…just because she couldn't believe in herself.

Little wonder why her teammates were always so careful when they spar against her.

Was she THAT much of a failure?

Did she HAVE to have Naruto to give her courage in order for her to perform at her greatest?

It was reassuring to have someone like Naruto around, someone who she admired dearly and one who would bring the daylight back into her weary life.

Hinata, however, wasn't the kind to rely on someone else's confidence to hold her head up. He obviously needed his confidence, considering how often he had to pick himself up again and again as he trains to become the Hokage.

She would never, in any situation, want to be a burden to him.

She didn't want to be a burden to anybody.

Even though Kiba and Shino repeatedly assured her that she was nothing of the sort, there was a dark corner in her heart that produced a certain constant insecurity that forced the all her fears to the surface of her emotions.

She wanted to be acknowledged by her clan, her family…and her father.

But she didn't believe in herself often enough.

Hinata shook her head; she wasn't supposed to concern her head with that now. She needed to train her Jyuuken.

It was amazing that everyone else she knew had no problem being watched by others when they fought. There were moments in the chuunin exams when she admitted that being watched actually brought more confidence into the contestants.

Perhaps she could ask someone to teach herself how to strengthen her own self-confidence.

Hinata's eyes widened at the last thought.

So…all she needed to do in order to fight at her fullest potential was to find her own self-confidence.

All this time, the courage that she had whenever she truly fought on her own…was never hers…

…because she didn't have any self-confidence.

She could start improving from there.

The problem that she had always battled with will be resolved, and she will no longer have to worry about being weak all the time.

However, deciding on the person who assists her in this task meant that she was going to have to consider certain traits that the person needed.

The person who helped her had to be confident.

Such was the case, otherwise she wouldn't benefit in any way, would she? It was likely that she might even bring down that person's self-esteem if she were to trouble him, or her if the person was a lady, with anything that he or she obviously can't help her with.

The person also had to be a ninja…and skilled.

Even among ninjas, the way that self-esteem builds up varies from personality and levels. Hinata, for one, didn't want to measure people up by their skill only, but she would prefer to learn from someone who knew how to use confidence properly for becoming stronger.

The person had to be around her age.

It would be nice anyways to have almost anyone who helps her in most of her training, Hinata admitted mentally. Yet any ninja beyond the age of fourteen tended to have plenty of tasks everyday. She needed someone who had plenty of time to spend with her at a constant hour in order to point out most of the things she could do each day to build her confidence.

Then who are the choices she has?

Confident. Ninja. Strong and Skilled. Around her age…

From here, she began a list of the young ninjas in Konoha who could help her.

Naruto.

He was the first one to come to her mind, yet Hinata knew that it was probably better to not disturb him. He was the one she loved, and considering that she had already made up her mind to not be a burden to him, she might consider asking him as a second choice. He had given her so much already; she couldn't possibly forgive herself for taking his time away from achieving his dream as the next Hokage.

Kiba.

Her teammate was definitely one of her dearest friends, and had she ever asked him for anything he wouldn't hesitate to accept. However, Kiba seemed to get his confidence from being outspoken and loud, and it was likely that the way his self-esteem worked wasn't exactly the way hers would. It didn't help that her good friend is inventing another jutsu of his at this time of the day, so it was better to let him train and find her confidence elsewhere.

Shino.

Unfortunately for her, her other teammate was with his father on another mission. Hinata mentally prayed for his well-being and health.

Neji.

Though she knew that he was terribly sorry for what he had done to her in the past, for he avoided her company when possible due to the overwhelming guilt he felt whenever he thought about her, the thought of asking him froze her blood drastically. The many years of their interaction had created an unconscious expectation of pain in her mind whenever he was nearby, and Hinata didn't want to begin building her confidence from there; to place the foundation of one's self-esteem from such an awkward atmosphere mingled with her fear and Neji's guilt would not do.

Lee.

Hinata's white orbs saddened at the last name; Lee-san was still in the hospital, and it would not do for her to ask him anything at this moment when he hasn't fully recovered from the damage that he had endured in the chuunin exams. Besides, Lee-san seemed to be severely depressed in the last few days, and Hinata didn't think it was wise to ask a depressed individual on how to build confidence.

Uchiha Sasuke.

The Hyuga heiress froze; out of all people, she had to come to Uchiha-san?

She didn't know of his personality, and it was unlikely that he was in any way like her.

He was angsty, moody, and constantly puts down others; Hinata didn't want THAT kind of confidence.

From what she had seen of him, he was arrogant, contemptuous and easily angered. If he ever smiled, it was of contempt, and try as she may to ignore the rumors, Hinata did not like what she heard about him.

He probably already thinks of her as weak, anyways.

He might even consider her one of his numerous fangirls and brush her off if she approached him.

Considering all factors above, approaching Uchiha-san about confidence might not prove to be beneficial.

She sighed in exasperation.

But then again, they were in the same class at the academy, and he is one of Naruto's closest acquaintances, so it shouldn't hurt to ask for advice from him, just in case he did say anything useful; she could learn plenty of ways from him, and Naruto might even notice her a little more if she was at least acquainted with one of his teammates.

If that didn't work, everyone else on her list was at least capable of answering her questions.

She could might ask for an idea from them, or even come up with another idea later on.

Hinata stood up and walked towards the Uchiha estate.

Next chapter preview:

"**A…anou…Um…Uchiha-san…I…I have a question."**

**Sasuke stopped and narrowed his eyes. _So…she wasn't a fan girl._**

--

**Hinata didn't know whether or not she should be intimidated, embarrassed, or confused.**

**She felt all three emotions.**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Just so you know, I'm not the best action/adventure writer, and I don't know every single detail about the series. If there is any fault in here, please be sure to tell me. 

If my portrayal of any of the Naruto characters is slightly off, make sure to point that out, too.

And by the way…I don't own Naruto.

Naruto is the copyright of Kishimoto-san.

I do, however, own some of the self-invented jutsus.

Chapter 2 

A moment of silence breathed onto the clearing before the column of rock in front of the dark-haired boy crumbled into dust and fell over the hole that had been created. Reassembling his chakra to mount another attack, the thirteen-year-old number one rookie of Konoha stood back before raising his Sharingan-activated eyes at the next targeted cluster of boulders.

It had become his newest goal to strengthen the power behind his Chidori attack in his other arm, just in case his stronger one was injured to an extent that would deter him from using it. Typically, he wouldn't expect such a problem on a usual mission, but it was always better to be prepared.

His thoughts ended as his right arm sliced right through the rows of the most hardened rocks in the group. Making sure that the chakra concentration was packed densely enough throughout his entire shoulder and arm, Sasuke jumped off to the left as quickly as he could before the stone behind him crumbled like a detonation.

Standing up slowly to stabilize his arm, the Uchiha avenger decided at that moment that the other boulders should be spared for training at a different time, considering that he had already tried his ultimate attack three times for today.

If this was the most that he could do for the Chidori attack, he probably should improve on something else.

Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan.

Ninjutsu?

He easily had all the basics down, thanks to the extra time he spent after school training himself. The Katon ninjutsu attack series was something that all Uchihas learned about from a young age, even though several required a chuunin or even jounin level control over both chakra and skill. Sasuke admitted mentally that there were plenty of attacks he could watch out for beyond the walls of Konoha.

But then again, Itachi would be able to read through his attacks anyways if he used something that had seals. What was the use if his opponent could see and even copy the same attacks he used?

Sharingan?

He had only two commas in each of his Sharingan eyes, and considering the fact that he still had one more to add and a special condition to fulfill in order to the same Mangekyou Sharingan as Itachi, Sasuke made a mental note to set aside a time each day to study more about the different levels of Sharingan.

Taijitsu?

Considering that he had copied enough of a certain bowl-haired genin's moves to possess quality speed and hand-to-hand combat prowess, it wouldn't surprise him if he could defeat almost every genin in Konoha with just that.

What did he need to improve on, then?

Sasuke glared at the dirt in front of his ninja boots. Everything has been annoying to him these days.

The dobe…

His teammate Sakura…

…and now the pace of his improvement.

There has to be something that he was doing wrong; otherwise, he would be improving much faster.

Even Naruto has improved so much.

Damn it!

Last time he checked, the dobe had actually defeated what was originally his opponent in the chuunin exams, even though summoning toads was not Sasuke's idea of ultimate power.

Itachi was still out there somewhere and he needed to get stronger. Fast.

What was going on these days? Where is he holding back?

A noise came from the bushes at the other end of the clearing and he decided that it was better to pay attention to his surroundings.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he turned towards the direction of the sound, body position ready to fight. If he was on a mission right now, he had better be prepared to face an opponent at a moment's notice.

The opponent, however, didn't seem to even notice that he had been detected, nor did he seem to be asking for a fight.

Silence settled across the clearing again.

"Come out. I know you're there."

A gasp was heard behind the brush.

"A…anou" were the words from the unknown visitor as a dark-blue haired girl stepped out behind a tree hesitantly before walking out into the sunlight, her gaze kept at her feet as if she didn't want to be there in the first place.

Sasuke turned away indifferently and began to gather his kunais to work on his accuracy, praying mentally that this visitor wasn't one of his fangirls.

He was already distracted enough from his training by the fact that she was there.

"A…anou…Um…Uchiha-san…I…I have a question."

Sasuke stopped and narrowed his eyes. _So…she wasn't a fangirl._

The next few words and the moment when the girl lifted her head confirmed his last thought.

A timid pair of creamy orbs met his gaze cautiously. "…How…do you…manage… your confidence…in a battle?"

Recognition then poured into his consciousness.

Hyuga Hinata.

The timid girl on Team 8 who has a crush on Naruto.

The only girl who didn't look his way. In terms of asking for a date, that is.

Sasuke arched his left eyebrow at the last thought as he realized that this so-called Hinata seemed to be slightly scooting away from him.

It sure was an unusual feeling; he had never been alone with a girl near his age that didn't want to be with him.

Then again, she probably avoided his company altogether, and added to the fact that he was also a loner, it made sense that they wouldn't have been in the present situation before.

Sasuke turned back to his training before his memory recalled something a few weeks back when Naruto had dragged him over with Sakura to indulge in a Team 7 reunion at Ichiraku's.

Flashback from the time right after the Chuunin exams

"_Neh, neh, Sasuke! GUESS WHAT?"_

"…_What do you want now, dobe?"_

_Naruto ignored the last word that his teammate used and continued with the new thing that he needed to say. "I know TWO people besides me now who can kick your ass!"_

"_Naruto! Watch your language! And there is no one who could defeat Sasuke-kun!"_

"_SAKURA-CHAN! You know who I'm talking about!"_

_Sasuke turned from his bowl of ramen. _

_From frantic I'm-telling-the-truth expressions on his teammate's face and the extended arm gestures, it seemed as though Naruto was serious about knowing someone his age with the same skill level, or at least in the blonde's opinion._

_He arched his eyebrow and smirked as if to challenge his teammate's new declaration. "…Who, then?"_

"_Naruto! No genin can defeat Sasuke-kun!"_

"_SAKURA-CHAN! I thought you remembered! HYUGA NEJI! AND HINATA!"_

_At hearing those two names, Sakura's previously belligerent protests about any potential rivals to Sasuke's strength turned to hesitant thoughts on her blonde teammate's side of the argument. "Wait…now, come to think of it… wasn't he the guy who you fought in the last chuunin exam—?"_

"_YEAH! That's him! He almost defeated me then!"_

_Sasuke snorted. "Che. A dobe like you shouldn't be too hard to fight against."_

"_SASUKE-TEME!"_

End of Flashback

If that was the case, considering that Naruto typically didn't overly praise anyone other than himself, then the girl in front of him did have some strength, anyways.

Why else would the dobe brag about her for two whole hours during lunch if he didn't know her from anything much other than the chuunin exams?

The last thought lingered on Sasuke's mind as he realized that this was a perfect chance for him to see if this girl was as strong as the dobe had said. If such was the case, he could improve himself by sparring against her in exchange for answering her question, or whatever serious business she was after him for.

"Why do you ask?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the first time that Hyuga Hinata was alone with Uchiha Sasuke.

Not just Uchiha Sasuke.

THE Uchiha Sasuke.

Number one rookie of Konohagakure.

The top student of her class.

The only other ninja near her age that everyone saw as an equal to Neji-niisan, who was considered the most skilled of the young shinobi.

The heartthrob of just about every other girl she knew.

The teammate of her own heartthrob, Uzumaki Naruto.

Hinata didn't know whether or not she should be intimidated, embarrassed, or confused.

She felt all three emotions.

And all three were fighting one other.

"Come out. I know you're there."

She jumped. So he knew about her presence minutes ago…

Well, Uchiha-san's reputation as a skilled ninja definitely wasn't there for nothing.

"A…anou."

Hinata hesitantly stepped out behind the tree and into the sunlight.

The fact that she did not know how to behave in his presence was now catching up to her.

Why had she never been alone with him before?

The other girls have done so once or more, whenever he tried to stay away from them.

Hinata then remembered that she also often tried to stay away from him. From most people, as a matter of fact, due to her fear of crowds.

It sure made sense that they wouldn't be alone with each other if both avoided any company, didn't it?

The nervousness that had been melting away at her confidence has now invaded most of her mind. At this rate, she was going to have a heart attack if she didn't get this over with in two minutes.

She should probably be quick with her question.

"A…anou…Um…Uchiha-san…I…I have a question."

Kami-sama, please let me get out of here in one piece.

She watched from the upper corner of her vision as Sasuke's eyes narrowed at her words.

Oh, what a bad idea this was! He was probably annoyed at her for wasting his time and might come after her blood.

Fear pervaded throughout her consciousness. Dear Kami-sama, she had better get the question out now. Hinata took a deep breath and forced out the last words she needed to say.

"…How…do you…manage…your confidence…in a battle?"

Her words were out. All that she needed was the answer and that's it.

She probably shouldn't ask him to teach her anyways. The fact that her nervousness was nearing its peak even from so much distance between them made her agree wholeheartedly.

She was bewildered when he decided that she was worth answering. "Why do you ask?"

preview for next chapter:

"…**under one condition…"**

**The hair on the back of her neck bristled at this knowledge.**


End file.
